In my column last week, I shared that I was working through the book The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life by Sahil Bloom (Ballantine, 2025). The premise of the book is that weve been measuring wealth the wrong wayby the accumulation of money. Instead, Bloom proposes a new way of measuring wealth using five categories: Time Wealth, Social Wealth, Mental Wealth, Physical Wealth, and Financial Wealth. I took Blooms free online quiz to measure my Wealth Score. The highest possible score for each type of wealth is 20 for a potential total of 100 points across all five categories. My results are as follows:    

Time Wealth: 11 (yellow)  This category is about how you spend your time and who you spend it with. Its about taking control of your time and setting priorities. I often feel like Im on a hamster wheel, constantly running in a circle. Ive got the who part downI spend my free time with family and a few close friendsbut I need to do better at prioritizing my to-do list and sticking to a schedule.        

Social Wealth: 18 (green)  This category is all about fostering a connection to others in both personal and professional worlds. I get enormous pleasure from my relationships with people, both at work and at home. If I havent seen or heard someone I care about in a while, I reach out and try to get something on the calendar.   

Mental Wealth: 15 (green)  Mental Wealth is having a connection to a higher purpose. It can include faith-based activities or anything that promotes stillness and contemplation. Im drawn to anything that engages the intellect. Im also convinced that ones mental health is just as important as physical health. In fact, I would argue they are one in the same.   

Physical Wealth: 12 (yellow)  This category covers physical health. Obviously, genetics play a role in physical health, but there is always something we can do to give us a better shot at a long life. If you dont know what that is, its probably time to schedule an appointment with your doctor. Weve all heard the saying: If you dont use it, you lose it. Physical decay can rob you of enjoyment later in life, and it can sneak up on you. Im a 12 in this categorynot ideal, but Ive been working on it, increasing my activity each week.   

Financial Wealth: 14 (yellow)  Simply put, your Financial Wealth is your financial assets, minus your financial liabilities. Are you living within your means or are you constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul? I feel like a 14 is decent in this categoryIm almost in the green. I live within my means, have enough to put away, and am satisfied with my standard of living.     

Moving forward, I will be working on increasing my Time Wealth and my Physical Wealth. More on that in future columns&  

Your Life Razor

In designing your dream life, Bloom recommends developing a life razor, or a single point of focus to use when making decisions. To do this, write down actions and character traits that describe not your identity right now, but your ideal life. Here are mine:  

I make the most of my mornings. 

Quality time with family is my jam. 

I find my career meaningful.  

I value quiet, contemplative time. 

I am an active person who gets vigorous exercise 4-5x week. 

Im willing to pay for experiences. 

Acquiring toys doesnt interest me. 

I have no interest in keeping up with the Jonses. 

Simple things like coffee and conversation make me happy. 

I treasure my close friendships. 

The mental well-being of my family is first and foremost.  

Helping my children find their path is important to me. 

Spending time outdoors is a necessity. 

My kids know they can call me anytime, anywhere, and I will answer. 

Putting it all together, my life razor is: No matter what Im doing, I always pick up the phone for my family. 

Here is an example of my life razor in action: I will get to bed early on Friday night so that I can go on a hike with my son on Saturday morningbefore it gets too hot. My decision to go to bed early increases my Time Wealth, Social Wealth, and Physical Wealthand it aligns with my life razor of putting my family first.  

Thanks to all whove emailed. If you are interested in joining our soon to be formed discussion group, send me an email at [email protected] .